MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HONORS BIOLOGY
Authored by: Suzanne Monkemeier and Linda Luparella,
Reviewed by: Mr. Lee S. Nittel
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Mr. Tom Paterson
K12 Supervisor of Science and Technology
Approval Date: Fall 2012
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
Kevin Blair
Thomas Haralampoudis
Linda Gilbert
James Novotny
David Arthur
Shade Grahling
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I.
OVERVIEW
Honors Biology offers students an opportunity for intensive study of the many facets of life science. Because
Biology covers all life processes, all life forms, behavior, and evolution, a first year course cannot encompass
all areas. The scope must be limited to basic biological processes, the historical development of major
biological theories, the language of biology, the plant and animal classification system and one's unique and
crucial role in today's ecological crises.
II.
RATIONALE
Topics such as heredity, DNA analysis, viruses, biological warfare, vaccines, stem cells and cloning are
increasingly in the news. Students need to have a background of knowledge and experiences in biology to
understand and relate to topics within the news media. Students need to be able to make educated decisions
to maintain healthy lives and to become better citizens. Knowledge gained within the Biology course will
empower students to understand the world around them.
III.
STUDENT OUTCOMES
New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards
5.1 Science Practices: All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidencebased, model-building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science
Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in
science.
5.3 Life Science: All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for
making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems
arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be
modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
5.4 Earth Systems Science (B,F,G): All students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex,
dynamic, and interconnected systems, and is a part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects (Grades 11-12)
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important
distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or
information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.
3. Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or
performing technical tasks; analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text.
4. Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are
used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11–12 texts and topics.
5. Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating
understanding of the information or ideas.
6. Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an
experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unresolved.
7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g.,
quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
8. Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data
when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.
9. Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent
understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.
10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11–12 text complexity
band independently and proficiently.
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IV.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
Unit I Introduction
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Explain the steps in the scientific method.
2. Write a laboratory report using the given format.
3. Understand the safety rules and regulations used in the biology laboratory.
4. Describe the five characteristics of living things.
5. Explain Darwin's Theory of Evolution
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Safety Activity
2 Understanding Analyzing Ethical Issues: Case History
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Scientific Observation
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Do Active Living Things Give Off a Common Substance?
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: How are Pieces of Potato Affected in Size by Water and by
Different Concentrations of Sugar in Water?
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Developing Concept Maps on Evolution
Unit II: Cell Biology
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Compare the construction of atoms, molecules, and ions.
2. Recognize examples of ionic, covalent and hydrogen bonds.
3. Determine the place of a substance on the pH scale.
4. Describe the action of an enzyme on a substrate.
5. Know the molecular structure of a protein, carbohydrate and fat.
6. Draw diagrams of the molecular structure of ATP, DNA and RNA.
7. Give a function of each organelle within the cell.
8. Understand how to use the compound microscope and the video microscope.
9. Distinguish plant or animal cells on the basis of structure.
10. Describe the structure and function of cellular organelles.
11. Determine the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
12 Explain how materials enter and leave the cell membrane.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: The Compound Microscope
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Measuring with a Microscope
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Organisms and pH
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: The Cell-Structure and Function
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Diffusion and Osmosis - Passive Movement of Molecules
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Cellular Membranes: Effects of Physical and Chemical
Stress
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: What are the Best Conditions of pH and Temperature for
the Action of a Specific Enzyme?
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: What Controls the Movement of Materials Into and Out
of cells?
9. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: What is Relationship Between Diffusion and Cell Size?
10. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Life and Oxygen
11. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Construct Molecular Models to Show Hydrolysis and
Dehydration Synthesis
Unit III Energy
A. Objective-At the completion of this-unit the student should be able to:
1. Describe how mitochondria carry out ATP synthesis.
2. Compare and contrast aerobic respiration and anaerobic fermentation.
3. Explain the importance of the electron transport chain.
4. Describe the Krebs cycle.
5. Identify the light dependent and light independent reactions that are involved in photosynthesis.
6. Name the raw materials and end products of photosynthesis.
B. Activities:
1. Constructing molecular models of ATP, ADP and AMP.
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Fermentation
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Uptake of Carbon Dioxide During Photosynthesis
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Leaf Structure and Stomates
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Stain Starch with Iodine
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Are Corn Seeds Alive?
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Some Aspects of Photosynthesis
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Life with Oxygen
9. Drawing and labeling the parts of a chloroplast and a mitochondrion.
Unit IV Genetics
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Define and describe the four stages in the cell cycle.
2. Recognize a cell in prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase.
3. Compare and contrast chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis.
4. Describe the structure of a molecule of DNA.
5. Compare and contrast DNA and RNA nucleotides.
6. Detail RNA transcription and translation.
7. Understand how proteins are synthesized.
8 Explain the DNA difference between a point and frameshift mutation.
9. Outline Mendel's Laws and detail why his experiments succeeded.
10. Understand the language associated with the study of Genetics.
11. Use a Punnett Square to illustrate monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
12. Use the rules of probability to solve genetics problems.
13. Solve problems that include multiple alleles.
14. State the pattern of sex determination.
15. Explain the difference between sex-linked and sex-influenced traits.
16. Describe the genetic disorders that include hemophilia, color-blindness, sickle cell anemia, Tay-Sachs
disease and phenylketonuria.
17. Describe non-disjunction and translocation of chromosomes.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Replication of Eukaryotic Cells
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observe Mitosis in Allium and Whitefish Cells.
3. Conducting Computer Program: Mitosis
4. Conducting Computer Program: Meiosis
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Reduction Division of Nuclei and Gamete Formation
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Bacteria, Pneumonia and DNA
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: DNA Replication
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Transcription
9. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Translation
10. Understanding Computer Program: DNA
11. Understanding Problem Solving: Monohybrid.and Dihybrid Crosses
12. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Probability
13. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Seedling Phenotypes
14. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: A Dihybrid Cross
1 Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Direct Detection of Genetic Disorders
16. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Recombinant DNA
17. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Human Pedigree Genetics
Unit V Evolution
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit the student should be able to:
1. State and explain the signifance of the Hardy-Weinberg Law.
2. Define fossil evolution.
3. Describe the roles of Darwin and Wallace in formulating the theory of evolution.
4. Describe how Lamarck influenced Darwin.
5. Recount the Oparin-Haldane theory of the origin of life on earth.
6. Describe the experiments of Miller and Fox.
7. Discuss the evolutionary development of fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Natural Selection in Populations
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Variation in Size of Organisms
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: A Model Gene Pool
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Sickle Cell Disease
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Interpretation of Fossils
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Archaeological Interpretation
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Natural Selection
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Variation in the Human Species
Unit VI Ecology
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Describe how populations grow.
2. Discuss how human population is increasing.
3. Determine how biotic potential is calculated.
4. Explain the term, demographics.
5. Compare parasitism, mutualism and commensalism.
6. Identify different kinds of ecosystems.
7. Describe the energy flow in ecosystems.
8. Interpret ecological succession in habitats.
9. Compare and contrast a rain forest, savanna, desert, grassland, deciduous forest, taiga and tundra.
10. Describe the green revolution.
11. Interpret the impact of nuclear power on the environment.
12. Explain the problems of acid rain and the ozone hole.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Limitations of the Environment
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Measure Population Growth
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observation of Seed Germination in Acid Conditions
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Dandelion and Plantain Populations
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: A Lesson in Conditioning
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Trial and Error Learning
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Producers in an Ecosystem
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Relationships between a Plant and an Animal
9. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Water Quality Assessment
Unit VII Biological Diversity
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit the student should be able to:
1. Understand the Linnaean taxonomic system.
2. Compare homologous and analogous structures.
3. Describe the seven hierarchical levels into which organisms are placed.
4. Explain the five kingdoms in which organisms are grouped.
5. Compare similarities and differences between viruses and living organisms.
6. Describe the structure of a virus.
7. List the distinguishing characteristics of members of the kingdoms Archeabacteria and Eubacteria. 8.
Recognize the three main shapes of bacteria.
9. Describe the three main kinds of locomotion found among Protista.
10. Recognize the major groups of fungi.
11. Explain alternation of generations in the moss and fern.
12. Review lichen's symbiotic association.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Shark Classification
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Oassification of Fish
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Classifying Flowers
4. Understanding Laboratory. Investigation: Structural Characteristics of Animals
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observation of Three Types of Bacteria
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Living and Prepared Slides of Oscillatoria, Nostoc and
Gleocapsa
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observation of Syngamy in Chlamydomonas
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Conjugation in Spirogyra
9. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Living and Preserved
10. Examples of Euglena, Amoeba and Paramecia
Unit VIII Plant Biology
A. Objective-at the completion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Understand the structural organization of a plant.
2. Distinguish the difference between the three types of plant tissue.
3. Compare parenchyma, colIenchyma and sclerenchyma cells.
4. Name two conducting tissues in plants.
5. Compare a monocot and dicot root and stem.
6. Know the longitudinal section of a root tip.
7. List the functions of roots, stems and leaves of vascular plants.
8. Explain the roles of root pressure, evaporation pull and capillarity in a plant.
9. Identify the parts in a cross section of a leaf.
10. Describe the mechanism by which guard cells open stoma.
11. Explain vegetative reproduction in plants.
12. Understand flowering plant reproduction.
13. Contrast the various forms of pollination.
14. Describe the plant hormones.
1 Compare the com and bean seeds.
16. Identify fleshy, dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Water Movement in Plants
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Examine Slides of Root Tips
3. Understanding Laboratory. Investigation: Transport Structures in Plants
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Examine Stomatal Structures
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Starch Digestion in Plants
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Reproduction in Flowering Plants
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observe Parts of a Seed
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Examine Diversity of Fruits
Unit IX Animal Biology
A. Objective-At the completion of this unit, the--student should be able to:
1. Name the parts of a neuron.
2. Draw and label a diagram of a simple reflex arc.
3. Give the functions of the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla.
4. Identify the development of the nervous system through the invertebrate and vertebrate animals.
5. Recognize the differences between an exoskeleton and endoskeleton.
6. Describe the composition of bone.
7. List all of the bones found in the human skeleton.
8. Identify muscles and how they work.
9. Understand the importance of chemical messengers.
10. Explain the differences between steroid and peptide hormones.
11. Recognize the major endocrine glands and their hormones.
12. Identify the agents of digestion.
13. Explain the role of the digestive enzymes in the mouth, stomach and small intestine.
14. Review the parts of the digestive system in the invertebrate and vertebrate animals.
1 Understand oxidative metabolism in invertebrate animals.
16. Compare lungs and gills.
17. Describe how vertebrates carry on respiration.
18. Explain the structure and mechanics of the respiratory system.
19. Review how the circulatory system evolved.
20. Identify the differences between a closed and open circulatory system.
21. Compare the heart structure in fish, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals.
22. Explain the flow of blood through the mammalian circulatory system.
23. Describe the structure of arteries, veins and capillaries.
24. Identify the substances found in blood.
2 Describe how the body defends itself.
26. Explain the architecture of the immune defense.
27. Identify how scientists are attempting to construct a vaccine for AIDS.
28. Review the basic organization of the vertebrate nephron.
29. State how the kidney evolved through the invertebrates and vertebrare animals.
30. Identify how the mammalian kidney works.
31. Name the evolutionary changes in reproductive biology among land vertebrates.
32. Contrast sexual and asexual reproduction.
33. Explain the parts of the bird egg.
34. Identify the hormones involved in the reproductive cycle of female mammals.
3 Identify the stages in the development of an animal.
36. Review how animals communicate.
B. Activities:
1. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Muscles and Muscle Fatigue
2. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: A Bike Trip
3. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Reaction Time
4. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Sensory Receptors
5. Understanding Laboratory Investigatin: Sensory Perception
6. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Trial and Error Learning
7. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: A Lesson in Conditioning
8. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Starch Digestion in Animals
9. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observation of Hydra
10. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observe Living Planaria
11. Completing Computer Activity: Invertebrates
12. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Earthworm Anatomy
13. Completing Computer Activity: The Earthworm
14. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Exercise and Pulse Rate
15. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Exercise and Carbon Dioxide Production
16. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Measure the Effect of Exercise on Pulse Rate
17. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Observe Blood Circulation in Goldfish
18. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Frog Anatomy
19. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Examine Bivalves
20. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: The Kidney and Homeostasis
21. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Antigen-Antibody Reactions
22. Understanding Laboratory Investigation: Antibody Diversity
23. Understanding Laboratory Investiigation: Development of ChickEmbryo
24. Completing Computer Activity: MacPig
V.
STRATEGIES
Strategies may include:
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VI.
Lecture discussion
Power Point Presentations
Overhead transparencies
Hand outs
Demonstrations
Smart Board
Computer animations, simulations
and web quests
Laboratory activities
Small group discussions
Time- line activities
Jeopardy Game
Bingo Games
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Guest Speakers
Field Trips
Videos
Research
Model Building
Digital projector
Debate
Dissections
Study Guides
On line computer tutorials and self
evaluations
EVALUATION
Assessments may include:
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VII.
Quizzes/ Tests
Homework
Class work
Lab Reports
Lab practical
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Projects
Presentations
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
REQUIRED RESOURCES
Recommended Text:
BSCS. Biological Science. 6th ed., Lexington: D.C. Heath, 1990.
BSCS. Biological Science. 7th ed. Lexington: D.C. Heath, 1996.
Hummer, Paul J. Probini Levels of Life. Columbus: Merrill, 1979.
Additional Resources
Moore, Randy, and Darrell Vodopich. General Biology Laboratory Manual. St. Louis: MosbyYear Book Inc. 1991.
Raven, Peter H. and George B. Johnson. Understanding Biology. St. Louis: Mosby-Year
Book Inc. 1991.
VIII.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
Number of Weeks
I. Introduction to Biology
A. The Science of Biology
1
II. Cell Biology
A. The Chemistry of Life
B. The Origin of Life
C. Cells
D. How Cells Interact with the Environment
4
III. Energy
A. Energy and Metabolism
B. Cellular Respiration
C. Photosynthesis
4
IV. Genetics
A. How Cells Reproduce
B. DNA: The Genetic Material
C. Genes and How They Work
D. Gene Technology
E. Mendelian Genetics
F. Human Genetics
6
V. Evolution
A. How Species Form
B. How we Evolved: Vertebrate Evolution
1
VI. Ecology
A. Population Dynamics
B. Dynamics of Ecosystems
C. Atmosphere, Oceans and Biomes
D. Our Changing Environment
2
VI. Biological Diversity
2
A. The Five Kingdoms of Life
B. The Invisible World: Bacteria and Viruses
C. The Origins of Multicellularity: Protists and Fungi
VII. Plant Biology
A. The Structure of Plants
B. Flowering Plant Reproduction
C. How Plants Function
4
VIII. Animal Biology
A. The Nervous System
B. How Animals Move
C. Hormones
10
D. How Animals Digest Food
E. How Animals Capture Food
F. Circulation
G. How the Body Defends Itself
H. The Control of Water Balance
I. Sex and Reproduction
J. Development
K. Animal Behavior
Total Weeks: 34